The biennial FIDE World Cup 2013 was held in the northern Norwegian town of Tromsø in the Arctic Circle. The 128 player knockout tournament, with participants from all over the world began in August, with the final match concluding in September. The Oceania qualifier, IM Igor Bjelobrk of Australia, was knocked out in the first round by fourth seeded GM Alexander Grischuk of Russia.
The two players to make it to the seventh and final round were third seed GM Vladimir Kramnik and 21st seed Dmitry Andreikin, both of Russia. Kramink started the event as a favourite, while the 23 year old Andreikin demonstrated that his win in the Russian Championship earlier in the year was no accident. Both qualify for the Candidates tournament to determine the next challenger to the World Champion.
The final match of four games was dominated by Kramnik, who ground down his opponent in the first game, and drew the remaining three. Today's game is that decisive first game, with Kramnik playing White.
1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Bg5 Be7 5.Nc3 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.e3 b6 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Bb7 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Qe2 a6 12.Rfd1 Nd5
Black's last two moves represent a novel way of playing the Tartakower variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. One of Black's problems is the lack of a useful square for the queen, so White avoids the immediate exchange of bishops. 13.Bg3 Nxc3 14.bxc3 Bd6 15.e4 Bxg3 16.hxg3 b5 17.Bd3 Nb6 18.Qe3 ---
White's pawn centre gives him many options, and one is the idea of g3-g4-g5 and an attack on the black king. Black now carries out a maneouvre to win the c4 outpost for his knight. 18.--- Na4 19.Bc2 Nb2 20.Rdb1 Nc4 21.Qc1 c5 22.a4 cxd4 23.cxd4 Rc8 24.axb5 axb5 25.Qe1! ---
Taking on b5 is premature as 25 Rxb5?! Nd6 26 Rc5 Bxe4 regains the pawn and solves Black's problems. White's move bolsters the e-pawn and prepares to lay siege to the weak b-pawn. 25.--- Bc6 26.Rb4! ---
Applying pressure to b5 and c4, as well as avoiding a rook exchange on the a-file. 26.--- Ra8 27.Rd1 Ra3 28.d5! exd5 29.exd5 Re8?!
Played quickly by Andreikin, this intermezzo runs in to a well prepared queen sacrifice. Instead 29... Bd7 keeps a more balanced position. 30.dxc6! Rxe1+ 31.Nxe1 Qc7!
The best defence, relying on accurate calculation after the tempting 32 Rd7?! Qc8 33 Rxb5 Ra1 e.g: 34 Bf5? Rxe1+ 35 Kh2 Ne5! 36 Rxe5 Rxe5 37 c7 Re8! 38 Re7 Rxe7 39 Bxc8 Rxc7. White picks up the b-pawn getting the full material equivalent for his queen and a strong passed pawn, but his advantage is only small. 32.Rxb5 g6 33.Rc5 Ne5
Black chooses active defence, aiming for counterchances against f2. An alternative was 33... Nd6 denying the e4 square to the bishop, and b7 and d7 to the rooks. 34.Be4 Ng4 35.Nd3! ---
A key move – defending f2 and c5. White must be very careful e.g 35 Rd7? Qb6 36 c7 Qxc5 threatens mate in two and 36 Rc2 Ra1 37 Kf1 Qb5+ 38 Rd3 Nh2+! wins after either 39 Ke2 Qb4 or 39 Kg1 Rxe1+ 40 Kxh2 Qh5#. 35.--- Kg7 36.Bf3 Nf6 37.Nb4 h5 38.Rdc1 Ra7 39.Nd5 Nxd5 40.Bxd5 Qd8 41.c7! ---
Before Black has a chance to blockade the c-pawn with his rook, Kramnik forces a new material imbalance of two rooks against queen. The doubled g-pawns provide the ideal shelter for the white king, allowing the rooks free rein to attack Any pawn ending with an extra pawn should win for White. 41.--- Rxc7 42.Rxc7 Qxd5 43.Re1 Kh6 44.Ree7 f6 45.Red7! Qa5?!
Choosing the wrong square after the awkward nudge by the rook. 45... Qe4! keeping the queen centralised was the most resilient, though the ending is very difficult to defend in practice. 46.f4! g5 47.Kh2 Kg6 48.fxg5 Kxg5
Or 48... fxg5 49 Rc6+ Kf5 50 Rf7+ and the postion of the queen means that after 50... Ke5 51 Rh6 will win the kingside pawns as in the game, while 50...Ke4 51 Re6+ Kd4 52 Rd7+ Kc4 53 Rc6+ Kb3 54 Rb7+ Ka2 55 Rc2+ Ka1 56 Rcb2! Qa3 57 R2b3 Qa2 58 g4! is zugzwang. 49.Rh7 f5 50.Rcg7+ Kf6 51.Ra7 Qb4 52.Ra6+ Ke5 53.Rxh5 Qb1 54.Ra5+ Kf6 55.Raxf5+ Kg6
Obviously 55... Qxf5? 56 Rxf5+ Kxf5 is hopeless. But with the loss of his pawn shelter, the rooks are able to round up the black king. 56.Rfg5+ Kf6 57.Rb5 Qc2 58.Rh6+ Kg7 59.Rbb6 Qc5 60.Rbg6+ Kf8 61.Rh7 Qf5 62.Rgg7 Qe6 63.Re7 Resigns
After 63... Qg6 64 Ra7 Kg8 65 Rag7+ the exchange of queen for rooks is forced.
Kramnik wins World Cup
Problem: White to play and mate in 4.
The biennial FIDE World Cup 2013 was held in the northern Norwegian town of Tromsø in the Arctic Circle. The 128 player knockout tournament, with participants from all over the world began in August, with the final match concluding in September. The Oceania qualifier, IM Igor Bjelobrk of Australia, was knocked out in the first round by fourth seeded GM Alexander Grischuk of Russia.
The two players to make it to the seventh and final round were third seed GM Vladimir Kramnik and 21st seed Dmitry Andreikin, both of Russia. Kramink started the event as a favourite, while the 23 year old Andreikin demonstrated that his win in the Russian Championship earlier in the year was no accident. Both qualify for the Candidates tournament to determine the next challenger to the World Champion.
The final match of four games was dominated by Kramnik, who ground down his opponent in the first game, and drew the remaining three. Today's game is that decisive first game, with Kramnik playing White.
1.d4 e6
2.c4 Nf6
3.Nf3 d5
4.Bg5 Be7
5.Nc3 h6
6.Bh4 0-0
7.e3 b6
8.Bd3 dxc4
9.Bxc4 Bb7
10.0-0 Nbd7
11.Qe2 a6
12.Rfd1 Nd5
Black's last two moves represent a novel way of playing the Tartakower variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. One of Black's problems is the lack of a useful square for the queen, so White avoids the immediate exchange of bishops.
13.Bg3 Nxc3
14.bxc3 Bd6
15.e4 Bxg3
16.hxg3 b5
17.Bd3 Nb6
18.Qe3 ---
White's pawn centre gives him many options, and one is the idea of g3-g4-g5 and an attack on the black king. Black now carries out a maneouvre to win the c4 outpost for his knight.
18.--- Na4
19.Bc2 Nb2
20.Rdb1 Nc4
21.Qc1 c5
22.a4 cxd4
23.cxd4 Rc8
24.axb5 axb5
25.Qe1! ---
Taking on b5 is premature as 25 Rxb5?! Nd6 26 Rc5 Bxe4 regains the pawn and solves Black's problems. White's move bolsters the e-pawn and prepares to lay siege to the weak b-pawn.
25.--- Bc6
26.Rb4! ---
Applying pressure to b5 and c4, as well as avoiding a rook exchange on the a-file.
26.--- Ra8
27.Rd1 Ra3
28.d5! exd5
29.exd5 Re8?!
Played quickly by Andreikin, this intermezzo runs in to a well prepared queen sacrifice. Instead 29... Bd7 keeps a more balanced position.
30.dxc6! Rxe1+
31.Nxe1 Qc7!
The best defence, relying on accurate calculation after the tempting 32 Rd7?! Qc8 33 Rxb5 Ra1 e.g: 34 Bf5? Rxe1+ 35 Kh2 Ne5! 36 Rxe5 Rxe5 37 c7 Re8! 38 Re7 Rxe7 39 Bxc8 Rxc7. White picks up the b-pawn getting the full material equivalent for his queen and a strong passed pawn, but his advantage is only small.
32.Rxb5 g6
33.Rc5 Ne5
Black chooses active defence, aiming for counterchances against f2. An alternative was 33... Nd6 denying the e4 square to the bishop, and b7 and d7 to the rooks.
34.Be4 Ng4
35.Nd3! ---
A key move – defending f2 and c5. White must be very careful e.g 35 Rd7? Qb6 36 c7 Qxc5 threatens mate in two and 36 Rc2 Ra1 37 Kf1 Qb5+ 38 Rd3 Nh2+! wins after either 39 Ke2 Qb4 or 39 Kg1 Rxe1+ 40 Kxh2 Qh5#.
35.--- Kg7
36.Bf3 Nf6
37.Nb4 h5
38.Rdc1 Ra7
39.Nd5 Nxd5
40.Bxd5 Qd8
41.c7! ---
Before Black has a chance to blockade the c-pawn with his rook, Kramnik forces a new material imbalance of two rooks against queen. The doubled g-pawns provide the ideal shelter for the white king, allowing the rooks free rein to attack Any pawn ending with an extra pawn should win for White.
41.--- Rxc7
42.Rxc7 Qxd5
43.Re1 Kh6
44.Ree7 f6
45.Red7! Qa5?!
Choosing the wrong square after the awkward nudge by the rook. 45... Qe4! keeping the queen centralised was the most resilient, though the ending is very difficult to defend in practice.
46.f4! g5
47.Kh2 Kg6
48.fxg5 Kxg5
Or 48... fxg5 49 Rc6+ Kf5 50 Rf7+ and the postion of the queen means that after 50... Ke5 51 Rh6 will win the kingside pawns as in the game, while 50...Ke4 51 Re6+ Kd4 52 Rd7+ Kc4 53 Rc6+ Kb3 54 Rb7+ Ka2 55 Rc2+ Ka1 56 Rcb2! Qa3 57 R2b3 Qa2 58 g4! is zugzwang.
49.Rh7 f5
50.Rcg7+ Kf6
51.Ra7 Qb4
52.Ra6+ Ke5
53.Rxh5 Qb1
54.Ra5+ Kf6
55.Raxf5+ Kg6
Obviously 55... Qxf5? 56 Rxf5+ Kxf5 is hopeless. But with the loss of his pawn shelter, the rooks are able to round up the black king.
56.Rfg5+ Kf6
57.Rb5 Qc2
58.Rh6+ Kg7
59.Rbb6 Qc5
60.Rbg6+ Kf8
61.Rh7 Qf5
62.Rgg7 Qe6
63.Re7 Resigns
After 63... Qg6 64 Ra7 Kg8 65 Rag7+ the exchange of queen for rooks is forced.
1-0
Solution: 1 Qe8+! Rxe8 (1... Kg7 2 Bf8+ Kg8 3 Bh6+ Rxe8 4 Rxe8#) 2 Rxe8+ Kg7 3 Bf8+ Kg8/h8 4 Bh6#.